Sanpaku t1_jbcnkt3 wrote on March 8, 2023 at 2:08 AM

Reply to comment by Emberashh in Oral hygiene, mouthwash usage and cardiovascular mortality during 18.8 years of follow-up - oral hygiene self-care OHS was associated with a 51% reduction in the risk of CVD mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.49 [0.28-0.85]; p = 0.01). by Meatrition

There's a rather long history of epidemiology showing an association of periodontitis with systemic chronic diseases, and the main candidate mechanism is that bacterial lipopolysaccharides, one of the most inflammatory compounds known, circulates from the gum to other tissues.

An older review, but still worthwhile:

Kaur et al, 2016. Unraveling the link between periodontal health and cardiovascular diseases. J Dent Sci Oral Rehab, 7, pp.28-35.

I'll admit to not having the best oral hygiene, largely because I haven't had any dental issues for 30 years. I brush maybe once a day. Floss once a week. But when I encountered the evidence on periodontitis and CVD I bought a bottle of Listerine and keep it in the car. Swishing Listerine around my mouth became part of the morning and evening commutes.

niconiconicnic0 t1_jbhr3i2 wrote on March 9, 2023 at 3:07 AM

Mouthwash is actually not only ineffective, it is directly linked to increased blood pressure and hypertension via reducing bacteria involved in nitric oxide production which influences blood pressure.

“Conclusion: In this study, frequent regular use of over-the-counter mouthwash was associated with increased risk of hypertension, independent of major risk factors for hypertension and several other potential confounders.”

Another:

“Critically reviews evidence from a published study that suggested mouthwash use is associated with increased risk for prediabetes/diabetes.”

“those using mouthwash twice daily or more at baseline had an approximately 50% increased risk of developing prediabetes/diabetes combined, compared to those who used mouthwash less than twice daily or not at all.”